Coastal Conservancy Proposition 1 Grant Solicitation

The Conservancy announces a new Proposition 1 Grant Solicitation, applications are due April 30, 2019.  Conservancy Proposition 1 grants fund multi-benefit ecosystem and watershed protection and restoration projects. Priority project types include: water sustainability improvements, anadromous fish habitat enhancement, wetland restoration and urban greening. The solicitation document and application materials are posted here.

Request for Partnership Proposals/Letters of Interest for the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program

The California State Coastal Conservancy (Conservancy) seeks partners for joint applications for coastal wetlands acquisition and/or restoration projects on the California coast or in San Francisco Bay to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 round of the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) National Coastal Wetlands Conservation (NCWC) Grant Program.  Only designated state agencies, including the Conservancy, are eligible to apply for NCWC grants.  However, the Conservancy can work in partnership with state and local agencies, tribes, and certain non-profits to develop and submit NCWC proposals.  The Conservancy can pass through NCWC grant funds to its partners to implement projects.  While federal agencies can’t receive NCWC grant funds, NCWC-funded projects can be implemented on federal lands.

If your project is selected, the Conservancy will work with you to prepare a NCWC grant proposal, which may or may not be awarded funding by the USFWS. The Conservancy will not award state funding grants directly through this solicitation.  The USFWS selects proposals for award through a merit-based, national competitive review process. The deadline to submit NCWC proposals to the USFWS for FY 2020 has not been set but is expected to be in mid- to late June 2019.  If projects are awarded a NCWC grant, funding will be available for implementation as early as Spring 2020.  USFWS will need to meet its project-related environmental compliance requirements before making funding available. A full description of the NCWC program can be found here:  https://www.fws.gov/coastal/CoastalGrants/

NCWC provides grants of up to $1,000,000 for the protection and/or restoration of coastal wetlands.  Grants are for project implementation, although it is permissible to utilize a small amount (~15%) of the grant for biological surveys or monitoring, planning and permitting if those activities are closely tied to implementation. Projects should be ready for implementation in Summer 2020 or 2021.  Projects will be more competitive if the project area is primarily made up of jurisdictional wetlands.  The NCWC grant program requires a non-federal match of at least 25% of the total project cost, consisting of either cash or in-kind contributions, and additional points are awarded for match of up to 33% of the total project cost.  The Conservancy may be able to provide some or all of the required match, but project partners with their own match will increase the Conservancy’s capacity to carry out more projects.  The NCWC program also prioritizes projects that involve multiple partners providing a cash or in-kind contribution. All projects must ensure long-term (at least 20 years) conservation of coastal resources.

Eligible Activities include:

1. Acquisition of a real property interest (e.g., conservation easement or fee title) in coastal lands or waters (coastal wetlands ecosystems) from willing sellers or partners for long-term conservation;
2. Restoration, enhancement, or management of coastal wetlands ecosystems; or
3. A combination of acquisition, restoration, and management.

Ineligible Activities include, but are not limited to:

1. Projects that primarily benefit navigation, irrigation, flood control, or mariculture;
2. Acquisition, restoration, enhancement or management of lands required as the result of a regulatory or decision-making process to mitigate habitat losses;
3. Creation of wetlands where wetlands did not previously exist;
4. Enforcement of fish and wildlife laws and regulations, except when necessary for the accomplishment of approved project purposes;
5. Research;
6. Planning as a primary project focus;
7. Operations and maintenance, including long-term invasive species management;
8. Acquisition and/or restoration of upper portions of watersheds where benefits to the coastal wetlands ecosystem are not significant and direct; and
9. Projects providing less than 20 years of conservation benefits.

More information about NCWC grants, including the FY 2019 Notice of Funding Opportunity, is available here: https://www.fws.gov/coastal/CoastalGrants/  Note that the FY 2019 Notice of Funding Opportunity for the NCWC program has not yet been released.

Letter of Interest Submittal: To indicate your interest in partnering with the Conservancy on a NCWC proposal, please submit a brief (~2-4 page) letter of interest via email to joel.gerwein@scc.ca.gov. The letter should include the following information: 1) 1-2 sentence summary of proposed project, 2) description of the need for the project, 3) description of the proposed project and how it addresses the need, 4) estimated project cost and description of potential match, 5) approximate timeline for project implementation (include information of the status of project design and environmental review for restoration projects), 6) indicate whether you have a willing seller for acquisition projects, and 7) list of potential project partners and their roles in the project.  Include a map showing the project area and providing the approximate acreage of the project area and acreage of coastal wetlands within the project area. Letters of Interest must be received by 5 PM PST on February 21^st, 2019.

Eligible Applicants: Non-federal public agencies, tribes, and certain nonprofit organizations are eligible for funding. To be eligible, a nonprofit organization must qualify under the provisions of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and its articles of incorporation must demonstrate that the organization’s purposes are consistent with Division 21 of the Public Resources Code, the Coastal Conservancy’s enabling legislation.

Questions: Questions about the application process and potential projects may be directed to Joel Gerwein, External Grants Manager, 510-286-4170, Joel.Gerwein@scc.ca.gov

Priority Conservation Area Grants – Call for Proposals

The State Coastal Conservancy, in cooperation with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), is pleased to issue a call for proposals focused on the Bay Area’s Priority Conservation Areas (PCA) designated under Plan Bay Area 2040.  Information on the program is available at: https://abag.ca.gov/priority/conservation/index.html, and the grant guidelines are here: https://abag.ca.gov/priority/conservation/pdfs/2019_PCA_Guidelines.pdf

The PCA Grant Program provides funding to cities, counties, park districts, utility districts and other agencies and non-profits to acquire, enhance, or improve areas designated as conservation priorities.  Maps of PCAs can be found here: https://abag.ca.gov/priority/conservation/maps.html 

For this funding opportunity, projects must be located in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, or Santa Clara County. Multi-county projects are allowed and encouraged. The PCA Grant Program for the four North Bay counties (Marin, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma County) is managed separately from this call for projects by each county’s transportation authority.

There will be two workshops to provide prospective applicants with an overview of the PCA Program.

Workshop 1
February 5, 2019, 1-3 PM,
1515 Clay St., Room 10 (2nd floor)
Oakland, CA 94612

Workshop 2
February 7, 2019, 10 AM-12 PM
700 Alma St., Oak Room
Menlo Park, CA 94025

Date: Letters of interest are due by 5:00 p.m. February 25, 2019.

 Submittal: Letters of interest must be submitted electronically to PCAgrants@bayareametro.gov. Attachments to emails cannot be larger than 5 MB.

 Contact Information: Questions about the grant program or potential project ideas should be directed to PCAgrants@bayareametro.gov. 

Job Opening: Project Support Analyst

Love the California coast and the environment?  This might be the job for you!

The position is located in Oakland, CA.

Under the direction and guidance of a Regional Manager or Deputy Regional Manager, the incumbent supports projects on the coast of California and within coastal watersheds, or in the San Francisco Bay Area that protect and restore natural habitats and working lands, improve public access to the coast, and address the impacts of climate change on natural resources and communities. The incumbent assists the Regional Manager, Deputy Regional Manager and/or Project Development Analysts, with efforts to disburse state funding to projects to acquire regionally-significant lands, enhance watershed functions, plan and restore wetlands, plan and build trails and other recreational facilities, provide environmental education, and plan and implement climate adaptation projects. The incumbent works to solicit and review grant applications, review documents related to projects, write and present staff recommendations for Conservancy Board consideration of projects, develop grant agreements in cooperation with legal staff, ensure that all conditions of the grant agreement are met, review invoices, and monitor progress of projects. The incumbent works as part of a regional team at the Conservancy and works with grantees, partner agencies and organizations, tribes, and community groups.

If you are not currently on the Staff Services Analyst list, please take the online exam at:  https://www.jobs.ca.gov/JOBSGEN/7PB34.PDF

Full details on the position and how to apply can be found here: https://www.jobs.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Jobs/JobPosting.aspx?JobControlId=138806 

Applications received without ALL the required items, will NOT receive further consideration for this position.  A copy of your transcripts or diploma is required, if you are on the Staff Services Eligibility list.

Explore the Coast Advisory Board – Call for Applications

Brown Girl Surf

The Coastal Conservancy is seeking members for an inaugural Explore the Coast Advisory Board to advise on the application process, review of applications, and ongoing administration of the grant program.

The purpose of the Advisory Board is to improve the Explore The Coast grant program by harnessing the insights and experience of diverse stakeholders and to share decision-making power with the communities served by the program. Applications are due January 28, 2019 and can be found here: http://scc.ca.gov/files/2018/12/Explore-the-Coast-Advisory-Board-1.pdf 

Please contact Avra Heller on Avra.Heller (at) scc.ca.gov or (510) 286-1015 with any questions.

Proposition 68 Draft Guidelines

The Coastal Conservancy’s Prop 68 Program Guidelines are available for public review and comment. These guidelines explain the process and criteria that the Conservancy will use to solicit applications, evaluate proposals, and award grants with Prop 68 funds under the Conservancy’s programs.

Comments are due on November 12, 2018.  Comments should be emailed to grants@scc.ca.gov.

Materials from Webinar on working on CAP projects with the Corps

The slides and recording from the October 10, 2018 webinar on the USACE Continuing Authorities Program can be found below:

Slides: CAP Overview_CA Coastal Conservancy Oct 2018_Final

Recording:

Coastal Conservancy Approves over $17.5 million in Grants for Coastal Restoration, Protection and Access

September 10, 2018 – Last week, the Board of the State Coastal Conservancy approved 17 grants totaling over $17.5 million for restoration, protection and public access projects along the California coast.

Notably, among those was an authorization of $9.75 million to the Wildlands Conservancy for the acquisition of approximately 1,390 acres along the Santa Margarita River, San Diego County, to establish the Santa Margarita River Trail Preserve. The Preserve will be protected from development and the trails will remain open and accessible for the general public as they have been used for decades. The Santa Margarita River offers one of the best opportunities to re-establish a steelhead trout population in coastal Southern California and, by securing conservation of the property, this preserve will provide natural resource protection and wildlife connectivity between the adjacent open space properties.

The Board also approved $825,000 in Explore the Coast grants to 27 nonprofit organizations and public agencies for projects that facilitate and enhance the public’s opportunities to explore the California coast throughout the State.  This is the Conservancy’s fifth round of Explore the Coast grants.  We have now allocated over $5 million to 176 projects that get more Californians out enjoying our coastal resources.  Learn more about our Explore the Coast grants in this video:

More information and a full list of projects can be found here: http://scc.ca.gov/2018/08/24/coastal-conservancy-public-meeting-in-eureka-september-06-2018/

California Sea Otter Fund: Grant Applications Due September 7, 2018

Photo by Mike Baird

The State Coastal Conservancy is now accepting applications for its 2019 Sea Otter Recovery Grants. The grants will be funded with monies from the California Sea Otter Fund, which is one of the state’s voluntary tax check-off funds that allows taxpayers to contribute additional money for use towards the recovery of California sea otter populations.

Public agencies and nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply for the grants (see Proposal Solicitation for details). Eligible projects include research, science, protection projects or programs related to the Federal Sea Otter Recovery Plan or improving the nearshore ocean ecosystem, including, but not limited to, program activities to reduce sea otter mortality.

Each year, the Conservancy solicits proposals for the annual appropriation from the fund. This year the Conservancy has approximately $118,000 available for projects that meet the fund’s objectives. Applications can be submitted at any time, but to ensure consideration for this year’s funding, applications must be received by close of business September 7, 2018.

For more information, please refer to the Proposal Solicitation. Applications can be submitted by email; no hard copies are required.

For more information, please contact Hilary Walecka, Central Coast Project Manager, at hilary.walecka@scc.ca.gov.

Climate Ready Grants available, applications due July 2nd

The Conservancy announces a new Climate Ready grant solicitation; applications are due July 2, 2018. Climate Ready grants fund nature-based solutions for climate adaptation. Projects in this round will be funded by the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, and must facilitate greenhouse gas emission reductions. These grants seek to support projects located in and benefiting disadvantaged communities. The solicitation document and application materials are posted here.